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Pallet Table DIY

Here’s a fun project that my boyfriend did, that I would like to share with you. He really wanted to make a dining table by only using ‘leftover’ materials. I really liked this idea and decided to document the project and turn it into a DIY for you :)

The table turned out great, and I really love the rustic and handmade look to it, and the process was actually very easy.

Here’s how:

1. Collect about 8 single use pallets and strip them. The actual amount of pallets depends on the amount of usable planks. Often they are rotten or broken. You can find them around construction works. Or ask for them at a DIY store. Select the pallets by its planks. They can vary in type of wood, width and length but the thickness should be similar.

1.2 Find an old door and strip it. I took an unused door from our house.

1.3 Choose a design: I decided that I also wanted to use the frames from the window in the door to serve as a border over the length of the table.

2. Saw all planks on the width of the door. (or width of the door minus the width of the frames if you use them)

3. Sand all the planks.

4+5 Lay the door flat on the floor and decide in which order you want to put them. I did it kind of randomly and moved a few here and there to get some nice contrasts in textures.

6+7. Screw the planks on the door from behind. (as you can see on picture 6, I first tried to glue them but that didn’t work)

– Use a belt sander to smooth the planks and the sides of the table.

– If you use a border: apply it to the side with small nails.

– Finish the table with a varnish.

Find some old (or new) table legs, apply them under the table, and your pallet door table is finished!

I found the telescopic legs at some rubbish heap. I think they are from Ikea.

**Note** As a lot of planks are often far from perfect, you will probably end up with a couple of gaps in between them. I’m still working on a final solution, and currently I’m doing some tests with applying gluegun glue.

13 comments

What an awesome project! I love that the frame is an old door. About the gaps: Have you tried mixing wood glue with sawdust to create a paste and then fill the gaps with it? It worked pretty well on my table renovation. Obviously you have to varnish over it, since its not very scratch proof, but it looks like part of the wood after a while and can even be stained.